@anonymous: "Hello All,
I'm having difficulty accessing an embedded Excel 
spreadsheet from a PowerPoint document, and I can't insert 
an embedded Excel spreadsheet into a new PowerPoint 
presentation.  I can't seem to find an answer to this 
problem anywhere.  I'm using Office XP SP3 on a Windows 
2000 SP4 system with all the latest patches installed (for 
both Win2K and Office XP), and no, I don't have Norton 
AntiVirus or SystemWorks installed.
<quote>
spreadsheet: 
If I right-click on the spreadsheet > select "Linked 
Worksheet Object" > and attempt to click either "Open" 
or "Edit", I receive the following error- 
"Microsoft PowerPoint can't start the application required 
to open this object.  
An error occurred and this feature is no longer 
functioning properly.  Would you like to repair this 
feature now?"  "Yes" or "No" are my options to continue.
If I select "Yes", another dialog box opens that 
says: "Installing: Application Server" with a progress bar 
and a cancel button.  Eventually, this process fails with 
the error- 
"The server application, source file, or item can't be 
found, or returned with an unkown error.  You may need to 
reinstall the server application."  This error also 
occurrs if I select the "No" button.
If I select "Update Link" from the right-click context 
menu, I receive the error-
"The linked file was unavailable and can't be updated." 
with an "OK" button to continue.
spreadsheets, or from a new blank PPT document, if I 
select the "Insert" menu > then "Object" > "Create 
from file" > "Browse" > (select any XL file here) > 
check the "Link" box > and click the "OK" button, I 
receive the same error as above-
"The server application, source file, or item can't be 
found, or returned with an unkown error.  You may need to 
reinstall the server application." 
I don't have any Norton products installed.
I've tried saving the file in an older format (97-2002, 
95) and then modifying the file.
I've tried both repairing and reinstalling Office.
I've tried re-registering MS Graph, as well as MS Excel 
and MS PowerPoint (the last two were just for kicks) using 
the <Office path>\<program name> /regserver syntax.
I've tried using a path with less than 64 total characters.
I don't have a folder in either the root or Program Files 
folders named either "Microsoft" or "Program" (and as I 
mentioned before, I'm not running Win NT 4.0).
I'm not linking to an Org chart, just trying to link to an 
Excel spreadsheet.
At this point, I'm thinking the problem lies in the fact 
that the PPT file with the original problem was created in 
either Office 97 or Office 95.  I can replicate the same 
problem using the same file across 4 machines.  
Machine 1 (original, mentioned above):
Win2K Pro SP4, Office XP SP3 (upgraded from Office 97) 
with all patches from windowsupdate and officeupdate 
installed.  This problem is replicated using either the 
original problem PPT file, or attempting to insert an 
Excel spreadsheet into a blank PPT file.  I had also 
attempted installing the PowerPoint Viewer, to see if by 
chance this would re-register some missing components.  
Didn't work.
Machine 2
Win2K Server SP4, Office XP SP3 (clean install) with all 
patches from windowsupdate and officeupdate installed.  
This problem is replicated using either the original 
problem PPT file, or attempting to insert an Excel 
spreadsheet into a blank PPT file.
Machine 3
Win2K Pro SP4, Office 97 SR2, appears to be missing most 
OS updates after SP4.  This problem is replicated using 
either the original problem PPT file, but I can insert an 
Excel 97 spreadsheet into a blank PPT 97 file.  I had also 
attempted installing the PowerPoint Viewer, to see if by 
chance this would re-register some missing components to 
re-enable the original problem file.  Didn't work.
Machine 4
A near-duplicate of Machine 3, except I didn't attempt 
installing the PowerPoint Viewer on this system.  Same 
results as Machine 3.
I've thoroughly searched Google for help with this... but 
to no avail.  Hope someone can help...
Thanks in advance,
-Jeremy"
    @echos: "Jeremy, since your spreadsheets are linked, the first question is, are the
linked spreadsheets available, and do the links point to the same path as
they did when the worksheets were first linked?
However, you're definitely having OLE issues of some type since you cannot
create a new graph/spreadsheet, either  well, it seems that you can do
this on the PPT 97 machines, but not on the PPT 2002 (aka PPT XP) machines.
So the problem with existing linked sheets *may* be a missing XLS file (or
it may not, of course!). But the problem with not being able to use
Insert/Object/Browse seems to be isolated to PPT 2002.
Have you tried running Detect and Repair from PPT 2002?
Also, even though you're not using Norton, it may still be related to
anti-virus software. You might want to check for something like the Norton
Office Plug-in on your AV software. Maybe disable scanning PPT and XLS files
and see if that helps. If not, try disabling the AV altogether (temporarily)
as a test.
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
<url>
presenter, PPT Live '04
Oct 10-13, San Diego <url>
news:260c01c4a187$4fcd5490$<email_address>
<quote>"
    @anonymous: "Yes, all files are available.  I can open the file path 
that appears in the "Edit" > "Links" area using Excel as 
a standalone application.
It appears to me that this is is a bug in Office XP SP3 
that requires another patch.  All OLE linking appears to 
have been disabled with the latest patches.  Office 97 and 
Office 2000 work fine.
I don't have confirmation from Microsoft regarding this 
assessment, however.
My workaround for my particular situation:
1.) Re-construct the original file using Office 2000 
(relative paths work only intermittently on our Novell 
network when using Office 97).  
2.) Update links and perform any other modifications as 
desired using Office Automation.
3.) Save a copy of the original file and display the copy 
to the client.
4.) NEVER overwrite the original file by saving it using 
Office XP SP3.  Doing so will corrupt all existing links 
in the PPT file.
So, how do I report this as a bug?
-Jeremy
<quote>
question is, are the
the same path as
since you cannot
that you can do
PPT XP) machines.
missing XLS file (or
able to use
be related to
something like the Norton
scanning PPT and XLS files
altogether (temporarily)
message
insert
(for
required
bar
with
to
to
using
characters.
Files
an
in
an
also
but"
    @anonymous: "Do you have some sort of solution for the OLE issues?
-Jeremy
<quote>
question is, are the
the same path as
since you cannot
that you can do
PPT XP) machines.
missing XLS file (or
able to use
be related to
something like the Norton
scanning PPT and XLS files
altogether (temporarily)
message
insert
(for
required
bar
with
to
to
using
characters.
Files
an
in
an
also
but"
    @echos: "The only thing I can think is to try to reregister Graph, but you may have
tried that already  it seems you've tried all the stuff at
The server application, source file, or item can't be found (when editing
MSGraph, Excel Charts, Org Charts)
<url>
If none of that works, it may be time to bite the bullet and call MS Product
Support.
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
<url>
news:251701c4acbf$815dddc0$<email_address>
<quote>"
    @anonymous: "Thanks for your help.  Yes, I tried re-registering Graph, 
Excel, and PowerPoint (the additional two were to err on 
the side of caution)... it didn't work.
I also tried installing a couple of patches that provide 
updated versions of the OLE32.DLL... that didn't work 
either. (MS KB824146 & KB828741)  Looks like I'll have to 
get MS on the phone for this one...
-Jeremy
<quote>
but you may have
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and call MS Product
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